Chapter 85: The Unavoidable
"I thought he’s just a friend?" Doreen nudged me as soon as she saw El coming inside the indoor pool after we changed clothes. "He’s so good-looking." She added with her eyes twinkling while staring at El.
I shook my head. "He came here with his sister, but now he wants to watch us train."
Tristen giggled as she pokes my sides. "Doesn’t that mean he wants to see Noelle swim like a mermaid?" She said, trying to tease me but I just smiled and laugh it off.
"Focus on training," Leslie said and I agreed, but Tristen and Doreen don’t look like they were listening at all.
’Aziel’s really getting all the attention from my teammates. Even from those known to be Night’s fans.’ I thought as I look at him and he flashed his brightest smile causing the other girls to squeal. ’He knows it. He knows that everyone’s fawning over him and I think he’s loving it.’
"Your prince charming’s getting all the attention," Ericka said while giggling. She sure is enjoying this, I just know it. "What about eating dinner with him this time? If you don’t want to come home early that is." I really want to eat dinner with everyone, but it looks like I can’t.
"I’m going home after training."
Ericka looked at me with eyes wide. "Really? Did something happen?" It’s not like I can tell her that my husband’s sister texted me to come home early because she wants to talk to me.
"Nothing much. I’m just too tired today so I think I’ll be eating at home."
That’s what I said, but El wouldn’t leave me alone. "Why can’t we eat dinner together? It’s been so long since we last saw each other." I stopped walking after hearing that. What does he mean by it’s been so long? We literally met the other day and Night almost picked a fight with him because of how he keeps acting toward him.
"I can’t today."
"Really? Then, can we do it tomorrow?"
"No."
"Why?"
I stopped walking again as I turned to him. ’These days, I’ve been feeling tired and I really don’t want to deal with people.’ I thought as I sighed, trying to calm myself before I could lash out at this guy. "I just can’t deal with other things right now. I have lots of things going on."
El went silent because of that. "I apologize if I made things harder for you." He quickly said making me feel a little guilty about how I acted.
"You don’t have to apologize. Just please, give me some time alone." El nodded as he accompanied me to the car where Asahi and Kaoru were waiting. "Thanks, see you next time."
El smiled. "Yeah. I know the date for the semifinals so I’ll be there." I smiled back at him and I entered the car after that.
"Who was that, young lady?" Asahi asked as he started the car. Why does everyone want to know?
"A friend."
No more questions came from them and I just looked at my phone, re-reading Shiho’s message. I guess Rika gave her my number that’s why she was able to send me a text like this. She said that she wanted to have dinner with me, it’ll be just the two of us. Indicating that she might have realized that I’m not on good terms with her brother right now. ’Great. What excuse should I use now?’ Just thinking about it makes me sigh.
"Is there any news about the mafia group after me?"
Asahi looked at the rear mirror. "I apologize, milady, but we’re still searching for it. We’re usually quick when it comes to these things, but this mafia group is swift with hiding their trace." He said. If these people who are almost an expert in finding someone can’t find that mafia group, then what can I do? I’m not the smartest person there is, and I’m not quick-witted either. How can I help myself this way?
As soon as I arrived at the mansion, Shiho greeted me in front of the door. ’She really doesn’t want to let me go this time.’ I thought as I approached her. "I’m home," I said.
"Welcome home, Noelle." Shiho’s face brightened and a smile formed. "Shall we eat dinner now in my room?"
I didn’t have a choice either way, so I followed Shiho and Himari while Rika followed me from behind. "Shall I prepare the miss’s favorite foods?" Rika whispered to me before we enter the room and I just nodded. "I’ll bring it to the room as soon as possible."
With that, I entered the room with Shiho while Himari waited outside the room. ’I wonder why Himari’s acting like a total attendant to Shiho when she’s also grandpa Kenta’s biological granddaughter.’ I thought as I sat in front of Shiho. "It feels like it’s been a long time since we last talked, isn’t it?" Shiho said. It’s only been a week, no, almost a week. "Are you avoiding me?"
I couldn’t drink my tea because of that. "I’m not, I’m just busy with the training." I mean, I’m half-lying because I really want to focus on the training, and for that to happen I need to avoid Shiho and Night. They’re distracting me.
"Is that so? Then... why is Noelle also avoiding older brother?"
This is what I want to avoid the most. Being questioned about Night. "I’m not avoiding him either." I’m such a liar, but who wouldn’t avoid that jerk? He’s only playing with me because he thinks I can still fall for his tricks.
"Don’t lie, Noelle. I know it." Ugh, how am I going to respond with that? "I know that my older brother isn’t the best man there is, but it’s because he went through a lot to reach where he is now. He doesn’t even want any of this." Shiho said which made my forehead crease.
"I’ll apologize on his behalf, but it’s been rare for him to care for someone else," Shiho said while fiddling with her fingers. "He keeps losing the precious things he has, I know that’s how he views his life. That’s why I didn’t want him to—"
"The food’s here."
Shiho wasn’t able to finish what she was saying when Rika and Himari arrived with the tray of food. "Uhm, shall we eat first?" Shiho awkwardly said as she plastered a smile on her face. I didn’t know what to say so I just agreed and that’s how we started eating. "Does Noelle love meat?" She asked while Himari’s helping her cut her meats.
"Yes, I love eating meats." Sometimes I feel more energized whenever I eat pork and chicken than when I don’t. "What about Shiho? What foods do you like best?" We started talking about random things, it was fun, but I can’t forget the fact that Shiho was about to open up about Night’s past to me. ’I don’t think I deserve to hear those things, and Shiho will surely despise me if she learned that she told all of that to a totally fake wife of her brother.’
"I love everything, but I’m allergic to shrimps."
"I have allergies too, but for me it’s nuts."
Himari and Rika brought desserts after we were done with our meal. "How did you come to like strawberries that much?" I asked after seeing a strawberry gelato and smoothie on her side of the table. I love strawberries, but that will make me get tired of them quickly.
Shiho smiled. "When my brother and I were children, our mom used to always pick strawberries on the farm back in Kyoto before. She always helps the grandpa there because mom loves nature." She said. "She’s an environmentalist and she taught my brother and me how to preserve nature, and be kind to nature." I can’t imagine Night being kind to anything at all.
"Older brother used to love taking care of animals, we even have a pet dog before, but things happened so grandpa took it away," Shiho said and her smile slowly vanished. "You know how I said that brother didn’t want any of this?"
’Oh, she’s going to continue talking about that?’ "Y-Yeah?"
"It’s because brother doesn’t want to be part of the yakuza." I couldn’t say anything after hearing that. ’Really? Or was he lying to Shiho all his life? Because when he first aimed his gun at me, he doesn’t look like he hated doing it.’ I thought as I stayed quiet.
"Our father was the weakest of grandfather’s children. He even got the nickname ’seven’ despite being his father’s biological child. They deemed him useless, and thought that his children were like him so those people didn’t pay us any attention."
Shiho’s grip on her cup tightened. I know it’s hard for her to say these things, and that’s why I can’t stop her because she gathered her courage to tell me this. "We were kicked out of the mansion in Kyoto and were told to stay in the Philippines. Everyone hated the fact that my brother and I aren’t purebloods. It’s because our mom wasn’t Japanese."
"I wasn’t born that time yet, and I was born here in the Philippines." She forced a smile. "Everything was doing great, at least that’s what mom told me before. Not until that incident happened, it changed our family. And it changed older brother."
